“Archive libraries, such as the Hoole Special Collections on campus, are increasingly converting their content into digital copies. But what may be a convenience for students can be problematic for archivists. As archives are digitized, there is concern that the technology which records are stored on will become out of date – just look at the floppy disk. “That’s where our difficulty lies more than anything else is that, how do you keep a permanent or long-term record in a digital format when you can’t guarantee its lifespan?” Tom Land, the institutional records analyst at Hoole, said. “We know what paper will do and we know what microfilm will do, but the digital stuff is different; our technology is changing about every year and a half.” (via Crimson White)

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March 18, 2013Comments Off on Libraries’ move to digital poses risks, benefitsArchives